NOT my best night.
I’d planned on making this nearly a month ago and had bought a butternut squash at the time, so I fully expected the squash to be rotten by now. I wish it had been, for it would have saved me some time and frustration.
I wanted to use frozen green beans instead of the fresh ones the recipe called for because I knew I had some stowed away in our freezer. Of course, when the time came to add them after I’d steamed the squash, I realized they were completely and thoroughly freezer burned. I suppose I could’ve just eaten the steamed squash and called it a night, but I figured since I had the time then I might as well just find another vegetable to substitute – I settled on frozen shelled edamame.
Everything was going well until the moment came to add the specified spice to the dish: whole mustard seeds. I began browsing our steadily growing spice shelf for the mustard I was positive I had bought weeks before: hmm, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, pepper, cinmamon, turmeric, cayenne, thyme, oregano… where were those stupid mustard seeds? I took every spice off the shelf and still no mustard seeds. A faint realization came to me that perhaps I hadn’t bought those mustard seeds after all.
To the Internet! The Internet told me that powdered mustard could be substituted for mustard seeds but the flavor wouldn’t be quite the same. But what else could I do? I’d gone way too far to stop. I made the substitution and finished the dish, and it was kind of blah. I actually liked the edamame in it but without the main spice, there was nothing special holding together the mix of rice, vegetables and coconut milk. Of course, I ate the entire dish over a few meals so it wasn’t a complete wash. OH and I discovered that butternut squash is the MOST AMAZING vegetable ever. I think I’ve eaten it almost every day for a week – bring on the beta carotene! Soon I’ll turn orange!
Substitutions/omissions: the edamame for green beans and the powdered mustard for mustard seeds. The edamame worked but the powdered mustard lacked the pizzazz that whole mustard would have provided.
Mistakes: See above.
Repeat? I did like it though it was boring, and I will try again when I have actual mustard seeds in my possession.
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